Monday, May 23, 2022
Good morning afternoon!
A few TikToks I’ve enjoyed: The life cycle of garlic; incredible pickled cucumbers; delicious-looking takoyaki; foraged sea salt; and this “give my compliments to the cook” meme.
Do you subscribe to Bill Clark’s wonderful A Piece of Cake newsletter? I know you’d love it. Just look at these Rhubarb Dream Bars.
Rescuing the Cuisine of Besieged Mariupol, Recipe by Family Recipe (NYT, an unlocked article)
Apologies for landing in your inbox late today as I was busy crossing the final t’s in my next cookbook before it goes to the printer in a couple days, and that much closer to us! This fall seems so far away because I’m impatient to show you all of the new recipes I put in Smitten Kitchen Keepers, like my perfect birthday cake or a dreamy summer lasagna. Fortunately, we have the opening bell of summer cooking ringing this weekend by way of Memorial Day, and, with that, some of my favorite things to cook that won’t make us wait. Below, a few considerations for your weekend menu, or hey, why not tomorrow? Those Carrot and White Bean Burgers (from the wonderful Lukas Volger, who has a new book out this week called Snacks for Dinner with the best subtitle) are always a good idea. I hope you have a delicious week.
Cheers,
Deb
double chocolate chip muffins
New: A towering dark chocolate muffin as pretty as I usually gaze longingly at in coffee shops, made simply at home: one bowl, unfussy ingredients, heavenly aroma, plus there is guaranteed unanimous agreement that this was your best weekday baking whim yet. P.S. Here’s a TikTok demo.
pearl couscous with olives and roasted tomatoes
Roasted tomatoes and garlic, slivered olives and an herby dressing have made this a summer staple around here for over a decade, with fantastic leftovers too. It's also a surprisingly popular kid lunch, should you have any small people with big demands in your life.
burrata with charred and raw snap peas
My favorite way to eat burrata (butterflied!) and my current favorite thing to put on top of it, a mixture of grilled and fresh sugar snaps, finished with lemony crumbs, mint, and as much chile heat as your heart desires.
grilled shrimp cocktail
My husband's favorite dish (we just ignore him if he says steak or a martini, we know the truth) cooked the very best way. Is this brunch food? Afternoon food? A cocktail party standard? Around here, always.
carrot and white bean burgers
An unfussy veggie burger recipe from simple pantry ingredients. Add smashed avocado, pickled red onion, and hot sauce and you’re in for a colorful treat, a perfect ending to a spring week.
fake shack burgers
I used to believe I couldn't possibly make the kinds of burgers I prefer -- thin, smashed to a salty craggy-edged crisp -- without an outdoor grill and I was so wrong. Here's everything you need to know to make a glorious imitation of a Shake Shack burger at home with no special tools or obscure ingredients, for a perfect Memorial Day meal.
strawberry chiffon shortcake
Featherweight vanilla and lemon-kissed cake layers with all of the whipped cream and fresh strawberries, stacked and party-ready, is what a perfect June party cake looks like to me.
key lime popsicles
This is easiest popsicle I've ever made (4 ingredients!), and the flavor is impeccable: unquestionably a key lime pie, formatted as a popsicle.
porch swing
This best-named cocktail mixes everything that tastes good on warm days in a single glass: lemonade, iced tea, cucumber slices, a little fizz and some Pimm's too. It's wildly refreshing.
salted brown butter crispy treats
On YouTube, watch me make a site forever favorite in which two minor-seeming things -- flaky sea salt and brown butter -- transform crispy treats from a "kid thing" to a thing-that's-hard-to-share-with-a-kid (or anyone). No matter where I take them, they never last 30 minutes.
I’ve written two cookbooks and a third, Smitten Kitchen Keepers, is now available for preorder, coming out this fall. I cannot wait to share with you all of the new recipes I’ve been working on behind the scenes.
shop my favorites
I've created a page on Smitten Kitchen with links to some of my favorite kitchen items, the ones I'm asked about the most. For each item, I've attempted to provide a range of shopping links so we're not just focusing on one giant retailer. I hope you find this page helpful. Let me know if there’s anything I’ve left off that you need.